


sometimes to run is the brave thing

by someone_stupid



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Beca is a mom, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, jesse is an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:27:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28903371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/someone_stupid/pseuds/someone_stupid
Summary: Beca and Jesse eloped and moved to LA right after they graduated from barden without ever explaining why. The rest of the bellas heard less and less from Beca until they eventually stopped speaking all together. What happens when Beca shows up on Aubrey's doorstep one night after years of no communication with her 5 year old daughter asleep in her arms?(Jesse is an emotionally abusive asshole and Beca has nowhere else to go)
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 45
Kudos: 157





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> haha oops, this is what happens when i listen to it’s time to go by taylor swift to many times in a row. plz be nice this is not only my first time posting a fic, but it’s the first time i’ve ever written something creatively. if you bully me, i will not hesitate to write more just to spite you <3
> 
> p.s
> 
> i went through this a million times to edit it, so if there are any typos that you notice, that’s between you and god.

Aubrey was in her en-suite bathroom getting ready for her night out with Chloe. The two of them got together every other Friday just to blow off steam and catch up. Aubrey loved those nights she spent with her best friend, because even with her ever busy schedule she had learned to never take her time with Chloe for granted. Aubrey went into her walk-in closet to pull out a nice pair of heels to go with her outfit made up of her favorite pair of dark blue jeans that Chloe said made her ass look “aca-amazing” and a simple green blouse to make her eyes pop.

Aubrey had a modest house in a suburban area of Georgia, she was a successful contract lawyer for a large Georgia based business. Chloe was a 3rd grade teacher at the local public elementary school. The two women were both very busy during the week, and needed their nights out as a way to decompress. 

Aubrey had just grabbed her earrings and was in the middle of putting them on when she heard her doorbell go off. She figured it must have been Chloe arriving to pick her up. She thought it was a little bit odd because Chloe had a key to Aubrey's house, but didn’t think much of it.

“Just a second!” she shouted and she made her way downstairs.

She opened her front door and instead of her best friend she saw a face she hadn’t seen in over half a decade, Beca Mitchell, and in her arms resting on her left hip was a small child with dark brown hair that looked to be dead asleep.

“Oh shit, you’re all dressed up, I should have called, or texted or something. You’re obviously busy-”

“Beca?”

“-I’ll just go, I’m so sorry, just forget I was here.”

“Beca wait, what’s going on? Are you okay?” Aubrey could tell by the way she was acting that she was obviously not okay.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I’m sorry for bothering you, I’ll just-” she randomly gestured away from Aubrey’s front door with her free hand before putting it back around the small girl, which Aubrey then noticed was wearing a sweatshirt that must belong to Beca with how large it was on her, and started to back away from Aubrey.

“Beca, just hold on a second,” Aubrey waited until Beca made eye contact before continuing, “Do you want to come inside?”

“Only if you’re sure I’m not interrupting something.”

“No,” Aubrey had already made the decision that she was not going out tonight, “No please, come in.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Aubrey stepped aside to let Beca walk in with the girl still in her arms.

Aubrey couldn’t remember a time she had ever seen Beca look this frazzled and unruly, while also seeming so timid at the same time. It was almost like this was a completely different person than the girl she knew in university.

“Again, I’m so sorry for showing up unannounced, I just-I didn’t really know where else to go,” Beca said with a small ingenuine laugh 

“Beca, please stop apologizing.”

“You’re right,” she paused but then almost like she couldn’t help herself from saying it, “Sorry.”

Aubrey just looked at her for a second, really taking in the woman she hadn’t seen or heard from in years. 

She had never seen Beca look so small before, in her well worn tee shirt and sweatpants, with a messy bun to top it off. Even with the child in her arms, which Aubrey could only assume was her daughter, Beca never looked more like that 18 year old freshman, while simultaneously looking like a different person altogether. 

When Beca started pulling away after her and Jesse eloped, all of the Bellas were hurt, but none more than Chloe. Beca never explained why they got married so fast, and why the Bellas weren't invited, but the little girl in her arms brought a little bit more information to light. 

Chloe was absolutely heartbroken and Aubrey, with many years of practice, was her shoulder to cry on. Aubrey was disappointed in Beca for hurting Chloe, but she had at least found peace in knowing that if she cut off contact, there was no way she could ever break Chloe's heart again. 

Aubrey had made her peace with the fact that Beca wasn’t in their lives anymore, in the family they built with the Bellas, or at least that's what she told herself. However, seeing Beca looking so broken, so scared, she had no choice but to do all she could to help her. 

The girl in Beca’s arms had started to stir and tucked her head closer to Beca’s neck.

“Mommy?” Aubrey thought she heard the girl say.

“Shh, honey, it’s okay,” Beca said soothing the girl, while rubbing her hand on her back.

“I have an extra room you can lay her down in if she’s tired. From the looks of it, you two have had a long day,” Aubrey offered. She had no idea how long Beca had been carrying her for, or how long they had been traveling. Last Aubrey knew, Beca lived in LA, which was at least a four hour flight away.

“Yeah,” Beca breathed out a sigh, “you could say that. Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Come on I’ll show you where it is.”

Aubrey led Beca upstairs and down the hall to her guest room. It was the room Chloe normally stayed in, but Aubrey felt Beca and the young girl might need it more tonight.

“The bathroom’s down the hall to the left, I’ll be down in the living room and you can tell me what’s going on, if you want to that is.”

Aubrey started to walk back toward the stairs, “Aubrey,” she turned around to face Beca again, “Thank you.”

Aubrey could see the tears starting to shine in Beca’s eyes, and she just nodded her head, “Of course,” then headed back down her stairs.

Back in her living room, standing with her phone in hand, Aubrey had been trying to figure out how to explain to Chloe that she couldn’t go out with her because the girl Chloe loved for so long, the girl who broke her heart, was in her guest room putting what was most likely her daughter to sleep. She was just about to tap Chloe's contact to call her when she heard her front door open and Chloe walked in.

“Who's ready for a night out on the town?” Chloe said with a little shimmy of her shoulders. The second she laid her eyes on Aubrey she knew something was wrong, “Bree what’s up? Are you okay?”

Aubrey was still too shocked to be able to soften the blow of what she was about to say, “Beca’s here.”

“What?”

“With her daughter.”

“Her _what?_ ”

“At least I think it’s her daughter.” Aubrey mumbled under her breath.

“You _think?_ Aubrey, what's going on?”

“I don’t know! She just—” Aubrey waved her hand, gesturing towards the front door, “—showed up at my door with a kid in her arms.”

“ _What?_ I-I thought she was in LA.”

“I know, me too.” 

“With Jesse,” Chloe added with a deep grimace.

“I know, but Chloe, I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t think she’s okay.”

At that point Beca came down the stairs.

“Thanks again Aubrey, she was so tired she just—” she stopped on the stairs the moment she saw Chloe, “Chloe…” she whispered before continuing down the stairs very slowly.

Chloe was stuck where she stood gaping at Beca like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Aubrey put her hand on Chloe’s shoulder and Chloe looked back at her, startled out of her trance. 

“Here let’s all sit down, and then, if you feel like it, Beca, you can explain what’s going on,” Aubrey offered as a way to move past the moment both women seemed to be stuck in.

“Yeah, okay,” Beca whispered, eyes still fixed on Chloe before looking down at her feet.

Aubrey and Chloe sat next to each other on Aubrey's large cream colored sectional, while Beca looked out of place for a moment, before deciding to sit on a well worn chair adjacent from the couch. 

Aubrey again noted how small she looked, Beca always exuded such confidence, especially in the bellas, but now the self-assured person she knew in college was nowhere to be seen.

Beca shivered while in the chair and crossed her arms, Aubrey saw the goosebumps rise on her arms. She knew Chloe noticed too because before she knew it Chloe stood and took off her wool coat she had arrived in, and put it over Beca’s shoulders. Beca gave Chloe a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Chloe gave her one back and sat on the edge of the coffee table right in front of Beca.

“Thanks, I gave Charlie my sweatshirt because she got cold and I didn’t think to grab her a warmer coat before we left.”

“Charlie, is that…?” Aubrey trailed off, but she needed the verbal confirmation that the child was indeed Beca’s daughter.

“My kid, yeah,” Becas eyes brightened for the first time that night for just a moment while talking about her daughter. They became dark again soon after.

Beca looked up when Chloe began to speak to her for the first time, “Beca what's going on? Don't you and Jesse live in LA?” Beca scrunched her nose at Jesse's name “How did you get here?”

Beca reached into her pocket and pulled out a white envelope, Aubrey immediately recognized it as the one from her Christmas card. Aubrey spent a long time researching the best high quality envelopes for her Christmas cards. They always had a red wax stamp sealing it closed. Beca may have seemed to want nothing to do with the Bellas, but Aubrey couldn't bring herself to take her name off of her master list of recipients of her cards. Whether it was out of hope the girl would reach out to them, or just to be petty, Aubrey had yet to admit to even herself.

“I, um, I kept the envelope with the return address, recently I had been thinking that I might need it someday. Turns out that day is today. I—” she took a deep breath “—I didn't know where else to go, even coming here I knew it was a 50/50 shot of you slamming the door in my face,” Beca put the envelope back in her pocket then looked down at her hands, “I just took a cab to the airport and caught the first flight to Atlanta that had two free seats next to each other.” 

She fiddled with her wedding band for a moment before interlocking her fingers together tightly, “I'm really sorry, about everything, and I mean _everything,_ I just—I didn't know where else to go,” she practically whispered the last part.

Chloe leaned forward and gave Beca’s knee a small squeeze, before pulling back, Chloe wanted to wrap Beca up in her arms and hold her until Beca didn't feel any more pain, but she was fairly sure it wouldn't be welcomed. And even if it would, Chloe still wasn't sure she was fully ready to let Beca back in. Beca had broken her heart by choosing Jesse, then continued to do so everyday she pulled farther away. Eventually, Beca was gone with Jesse, and Chloe didn't even get a “Happy Birthday” text once a year. It was almost like they were never even friends to begin with.

Aubrey spoke up, drawing Chloe out of her thoughts, “You're always welcome here Beca, the Bellas are your family.”

Beca chuckled bitterly, then grumbled, “Some family I've been,” she then took a big sigh.

“Me and Jesse got into a fight last night,” she still hadn't looked up at Aubrey or Chloe, but they waited in silence, they both had a feeling this story wasn't going to be a fun one. 

“I don’t even remember what it was about. We've been fighting more and more, but we always did it after Charlie went to bed. I never wanted her to see, I know how hard it is when your parents are always at odds.”

Beca felt that her cheeks were wet, she didn't know when she started crying. Whether they were tears because of sadness or because of the relief that she felt seeing two familiar faces after so long, she didn’t know. She had never said any of this out loud before, and even with how hard it was, it was oddly freeing. 

“He's been so stressed with work, and he's been drinking. And the more he drinks that louder he yells. I normally just let him yell until he gets over it. He always apologizes, I know he doesn't mean it.” 

Aubrey and Chloe shared a look, Chloe could tell that Aubrey already had at least ten different ideas of how to cause some serious harm to Jesse with just her two hands, and Chloe wasn’t too far behind.

“He never yells at Charlie, he's so good to her, he's a good dad, he loves her so much, and I know he loves me too. He's just so stressed, it's not his fault.” Beca recited the same montra she had been telling herself for a long while now.

“Charlie had already gone to bed, I knew he just had to get it out of his system, but I guess she heard something and came down. I saw her in the doorway, _God,_ she looked so scared,” Beca’s heart felt so heavy remembering the way her daughter looked so terrified of her own father. “Jesse left soon after, he said something about needing a drink before he walked out the door.”

_-The Night Before-_

_Beca went over to where Charlie still was in the doorway to the living room, Jesse had been facing away from her, and Beca thanked God he didn't see her. Beca knew that when Jesse went out for a drink, she had at least two hours before he came back, but sometimes he wouldn't come back until the next day, and on the worst nights she would get a call from the local police station saying he was being held for public intoxication, or harassment, or some other stupid thing._

_Charlie was crying and Beca just hugged her as tight as she could. In that moment, when she saw the fear in her daughter's eyes, Beca knew she couldn't stay there anymore. Beca picked Charlie up after her sobs had subsided and took her to her and Jesse’s room._

_Beca set her daughter on the bed, then threw on a sweatshirt and put on a pair of shoes. She walked over to her bed and lifted the mattress to reveal the hiding spot she made for Aubrey's Christmas card. She ran her finger over the wax seal before opening it up to look at the card again._

_She knew Jesse would have thrown it away if he saw it. He forced her to cut off all communication with the Bellas after they got married, he said it was because they weren't good for her. She didn't know how that could be true, but she also trusted Jesse, he was her husband, he loved her, he's just been so stressed, it's not his fault._

_She looked at the card, she had all of the photos memorized at this point. Among other pictures, on the card was a photo of all of the Bellas, minus Beca of course. She would look at the picture, especially a certain redhead, on nights when she felt particularly lonely. It never made her feel better, but the pain of missing them was at least a different pain than loving Jesse._

_Beca put the card back in the envelope, and folded them so it would fit in her pocket. She put a pair of shoes on Charlie and called a cab to take her and her daughter to the airport to board the next flight to Georgia._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look back at what Beca and Charlie’s lives were like living with Jesse. Takes place about two months before Beca showed up at Aubrey’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally didn’t think anyone was gonna see this, and i was kinda shocked (and still am) that people actually read this and some took the time to comment. y’all are literally so nice and it has made me so happy, anyway here you go!!

-Two Months Ago-

Jesse left early that morning to go to the office, he originally had decided to take the day off work so they could have a day together as a family, but after Beca and Jesse’s particularly bad fight the night before, he decided it would be best to postpone. 

Jesse had worked as an assistant for a film composer when they first moved to LA, and while Beca was pregnant and right after Charlie was born, they lived off that one income together in a small studio apartment. Luckily their parents helped pay for the wedding and their hospital bills as a reward for doing the right thing and getting married after finding out Beca was pregnant. Both sets of parents held rather traditional southern values, and the idea of their children raising a “bastard” together was something they would never support.

When Beca first found out she was pregnant, her first thought was that she did not want a child, especially at 21, but Jesse begged her not to get an abortion, he said that they could do it all together. Jesse proposed to her while they were at dinner with both of their parents explaining the situation. Beca didn’t really want to get married, but she looked into Jesse’s eyes, and he looked so happy, so hopeful for their future, and she couldn’t bring herself to decline.

They got married soon after graduating and moved to LA about two weeks after that. About 8 months after they graduated, Charlotte Anne Mitchell Swanson was born. They wanted the Mitchell name to be carried on, even though Beca was an only child. Mitchell-Swanson was a mouthful, so Mitchell served as a second middle name, which seemed to appease Beca's father.

Beca had never told Jesse, but Anne was also Chloe’s middle name. Beca just wanted a piece of her old friend to live on in her daughter, she secretly hoped Charlie would be a similar beacon of light in her life.

She couldn’t bring herself to tell the Bellas what was going on because on a deep level she knew that that would be able to talk her out of it all in a heartbeat. Especially Chloe, Beca would have gladly done anything Chloe asked of her, because she trusted Chloe more than anyone else and knew she would never be made to do something she didn’t want to do.

Beca continued to pull away further and further from the family she had built in college, even though it killed her. She felt ashamed of her decisions and she didn't want them to think any less of her. She also couldn't stand to see Chloe heartbroken. 

Contrary to what Aubrey might say about her, Beca wasn’t oblivious, she could see how Chloe felt about her. Beca even returned those feelings for quite some time, but she could never bring herself to do anything about it. Beca knew that loving Chloe would be jumping head first into a deep pool of intense emotions, ones that she was in no way prepared for. Choosing Jesse, choosing to love Jesse was easy, he loved her so much and that made it easier for Beca to begin to love him back. 

Jesse was a choice, he was easy, choosing him was a slow growing love and fondness for all of his little quirks. Chloe, she was an inevitability. Beca knew that no matter what, if she stayed around Chloe, there would only be so long until she would have fallen so deep that there was no way out. Beca also knew that if this happened, it would have broken Jesse. Chloe was strong, probably one of the strongest people Beca had ever known, and she knew that Chloe didn't need her in the way Jesse did. Even if Chloe was the one single person in the world who Beca actually wanted with such an intense passion.

So she pulled away, Jesse had never particularly liked how close Beca was with all of the other Bellas, but to her they were her family. After they moved, Jesse would get more and more irritated when she would bring up the girls, or make free time to talk with them. Eventually Beca just ceased all contact, and ignored the emptiness it left her with.

Things had been good for a while, Jesse eventually got promoted, and was finally achieving his dream scoring films and Beca began working as a freelance music producer for small artists. With the money Jesse had been making after his promotion they had been able to buy a house for their little family. The more Jesse worked, the more stressed he got, and the shorter his temper became. But, Beca loved Jesse, and he loved her, he was just so stressed, it wasn’t his fault.

It all culminated and Beca and Jesse had their biggest fight yet the night before. Jesse had come home after a long day, and the mess from the breakfast Beca made Charlie was still in the kitchen. Beca had a new client, and in between taking care of their child and working from home, she had simply forgotten. Jesse had gotten so mad at her, she didn’t think it was a big deal, but it apparently was to Jesse. 

They had fought before, obviously. Beca was strong and very vocal about her opinions, but seeing the way Jesse acted last night, Beca had found out it ended much quicker if she just shut up and let him get it all out.

Beca felt so empty inside, she knew that the two of them shouldn't be fighting this much, but she didn't know what she could do about it. She laid on her bed staring at the ceiling, as she had done all night while her husband slept next to her as if nothing happened. She pretended to be asleep when he left that morning so they didn't have to talk. Her thoughts were interrupted by a small fist tapping on her door. 

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”

Beca took a deep breath before she got up to go open the door, as soon as she did she saw her daughter, still in her PJs, with sleep muddled hair, and sheet marks still imprinted on the side of her face. Beca couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her ever energetic and unruly daughter. 

Jesse always commented on how much Charlie looked like a younger version of Beca. She had inherited her mother’s dark brown hair and deep blue eyes, as well as her small height.

Beca scooped Charlie up into her arms and couldn't resist the urge to cover her entire face with wet, noisy kisses. “Mommy stoooooop,” Charlie exclaimed in between giggles.

Beca watched her daughter look around the room as she noticed the absence of her father, “Where’s daddy?”

“Sorry buddy, but daddy had to go to work today.”

Beca watched as Charlie scrunched her nose, the way she always did when something disappointed her, “But today is family day?”

“Well now it’s a special Mommy and Charlie day!”

Charlie rolled her eyes and suddenly Beca had a feeling what her parents must have felt raising her, “But I see you eeevveerydaaaaaay.”

“I know kid, but today is special because we are going to…” Beca set Charlie down so she could drumroll on her own thighs, “...the mall!!”

“YAY!!”

Beca hated going to the mall, but her daughter loved it, mostly they were going because Beca didn’t feel like being home where everything reminded her of Jesse.

Beca set Charlie back down on the floor, “Wanna go downstairs and get some breakfast?”

“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Beca couldn't help but smile at how happy her daughter was for something as simple as breakfast and the mall, oh the joys of childhood.

The pair made their way into the kitchen, it was all clean because after Beca and Jesse were done fighting, Beca stayed up extra late cleaning everything up. As she walked towards the sink she noticed a new scuff on the floor in front of the dishwasher.

  
  
  


_The plate hitting the ground made such a loud noise as it shattered. Beca jumped but she still didn’t dare say anything in case it set Jesse off. She spared a thought to her daughter and hoped the noise didn’t wake her._

_“I spend my whole day working so hard for this family, for you, and you can’t even be bothered to wash the fucking dishes?”_

_Jesse’s voice was loud and strong, it made Beca feel so small, it reminded her of how she used to feel when her parents would fight in front of her._

_Now, as she did back then, she waited until the yelling stopped before trying to do anything._

  
  
  


Beca, remembering the events of last night, no longer felt like making breakfast for her daughter. 

“Hey buddy,” Beca waited until Charlie looked at her before continuing, “How do you feel about going to IHOP for breakfast today?”

She watched the grin grow on her daughter's face before wincing at the volume of the high pitched squeal coming from such a small human.

Beca had to rub at her ear to get it to stop ringing, “Okay, I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

Charlie ran up to her mother and wrapped her arms as far around her waist as she could, “Thank you so much mommy! I love special mommy and Charlie day!”

Beca got herself and Charlie all dressed and ready, but before they left Beca made a split second decision and packed a backpack with clothes and other items they would need to stay somewhere overnight. Beca was unsure as of that moment whether she would want to go back home to Jesse after her day with Charlie. 

Beca put the backpack in the trunk of her car, and was extremely greatful when Charlie didn’t question it at all, Beca wasn’t too keen on lying to her daughter. 

The two set off to IHOP, and ate as many pancakes as they could. Beca was honestly surprised, and a little bit proud, at the amount of food her small daughter could consume. 

Then Beca drove them to the mall where they walked around and window shopped until lunch, she let Charlie pick out what they had, and even though it was just the pretzel bar, she noticed the twinkle in Charlie’s eyes at such a big decision. 

Beca took Charlie to the mall’s children’s play area. She hated to think of the amount of germs and bacteria on all of the structures, but she justified it as building her kid’s immune system.

Beca was honestly having one of the best days she could remember having in a long time, and she didn’t want to admit to herself that this was also the first day in a while where she had barely any of her time spent with Jesse. She felt an awful sinking feeling in her gut when she thought of going back to their house. Beca knew she had nowhere else to go, no close friends in LA, so she called a hotel by the mall and booked a single room for her and Charlie.

They shopped a little bit more before Beca let Charlie know that it was time for them to leave because it was gonna be dinner soon. Beca drove them to the hotel and checked them in. They arrived in the room, but Charlie was confused why they were in a hotel and not home waiting to have dinner with her dad.

“Mommy,” Charlie tugged on Beca’s hand to get her attention.

Beca knelt down to be eye level with her daughter, “What’s up, kiddo?”

“Are we having dinner here?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna have dinner here tonight.”

“Where’s daddy?”

Beca tried her hardest not to get choked up when she saw how concerned her daughter was about not having dinner with her father, “Well today is a special day for me and you, so we are gonna spend the night here tonight, kinda like a sleepover with just the two of us.”

“Oh,” Charlie looked confused, “is daddy gonna be sad without us?”

“Buddy, today is a special day, no one is allowed to be sad,” Beca didn’t want to lie to her daughter but she also couldn’t exactly explain what was going to happen, especially when she didn’t quite know herself. 

“Here,” she pulled her daughter up onto her lap as they both settled on the bed, “let’s watch a movie.”

Beca scrolled through the movies they had to rent on the TV, she settled on A _Bug’s Life,_ because honestly it was one of the few kids movies she hadn’t gotten sick of yet. Charlie immediately got sucked in and Beca grabbed the phone to order dinner for them both. Beca got herself a cheeseburger and her daughter a grilled cheese, she also got them both milkshakes and ordered a piece of chocolate cake for dessert, she knew she was spoiling them, but she felt it was justified.

Their food soon arrived and they ate it at the only table they had in their room. After dinner Beca put on another movie, this time it was _Up_ , she felt the need to put on a sad movie as an excuse to cry if she needed it. After putting on their pajamas, Beca and Charlie cuddled up on the bed again to watch the movie.

Halfway through the movie, Beca’s phone rang, and her heart dropped when she read the name. She knew Jesse would most likely call before the end of the night, he was probably worried about why his wife and daughter weren’t at home.

Beca stepped into the bathroom to take the call, and hoped it was soundproof enough that Charlie couldn’t hear.

“Hey, Jesse—” she got cut off by her husband speaking rather frantically.

“Beca, where are you guys?” she felt bad for making him worry.

“We are at a hotel for the night.”

“What? _Why?_ Beca what’s going on?”

“After last night—”

“Beca, I apologized for last night, you can’t just take my kid to a hotel for the night because of a little fight,” Beca didn’t agree that it was just a little fight, but maybe she was overreacting. 

“I just feel like I need some time just to think, and we can talk about everything tomorrow”

“Please don’t do this.”

“Jesse I just need—” She was again cut off.

“Beca, please I need you.”

“I just need one night, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Beca… _please._ ”

Beca didn’t say anything else, then Jesse spoke again, “Please tell Charlie I say goodnight and that I love her.”

“Of course,” she paused before adding “I love you, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jesse paused for a long time before essentially whispering, “I love you too.”

Beca hung up before he could say anything else, she knew if she let him keep talking she would give in and be on her way home. Beca didn’t want to give in, she wanted to tell Jesse that the way he acted made her feel so small and so hurt. She just had to figure out how to say it.

She came out of the bathroom to see Charlie starfished across the bed asleep, she had a long exciting day with her mom. Beca’s heart ached for how much she loved her daughter, but then it ached in a different way thinking of how now she had no distraction from thinking of Jesse.

Beca didn’t know what she was going to do, she loved Jesse, and he loved her, he’s just so stressed, it’s not his fault.

She continued to watch the movie, and quietly, as to not wake her daughter, but unashamedly cried as the credits rolled. Beca heard a knock at her door, she was confused as to who it could be this late, so she got up to check out the peephole. 

Outside the door she saw Jesse standing there, his hair was messy and he was wearing the clothes he normally wore to work. 

She grabbed her key card from the table and stepped out into the hallway, she didn’t want to have this conversation while their child was asleep in the same room.

Beca didn’t stand too close to Jesse and she crossed her arms over her chest, she may have felt guilty, but she wanted to stand her ground. She could smell the alcohol on him, but he didn’t look angry, he looked heartbroken. Beca felt so awful knowing he felt like this because of her.

“Jesse, I told you I would be home tomorrow.”

“Beca, I couldn’t—” Beca heard his voice crack, she had never heard him sound this broken before “I—I didn’t know how to sleep without you.”

Beca didn’t say anything, but then Jesse got down on his knees in front of Beca and the tears started to roll down his cheeks. Beca felt herself start to cry at the sight.

“Beca, please I—I’m so sorry,” he moved on his knees closer to her and grabbed her arms where they were stilled crossed, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” he placed his head on her stomach and wrapped his arms around her “I don’t know how to do this without you, _please,_ I’m so sorry.”

Beca uncrossed her arms, she held her hands away from touching Jesse for a moment, but he looked so hurt she could hear his sobs being pressed into her stomach. Beca brought her hands down and put them in his hair. She scratched at his scalp while he kept mumbling apologies into her stomach. Her shirt was soaked through from his tears.

“Okay,” Beca said barely audible “Okay.”

She put her hands under his arms and pulled him onto his feet, they rested their foreheads against each other.

“Okay,” she mumbled against his mouth before leaning in to kiss him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place in the same night as Chapter One and is a continuation of that night and what happens after. (basically beca is sad, charlie is sadder, aubrey is protective, and chloe is homicidal)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apparently i made people sad with the last chapter and i can’t promise this one will be a whole lot better, BUT i promise beca and charlie get some good things in the last chapter so plz keep holding on. i can only hurt beca so much.

After Beca had finished telling Chloe and Aubrey what had happened between her Jesse, the two women were absolutely stunned. Neither one of them were particularly fond of Jesse and his relationship with Beca while they were in college, but they never expected this. 

They saw the way he forced her to do things she didn't want to do, even if it was just watching movies with her in the beginning, he never respected her interests or her boundaries. It slowly grew into bigger things, like him taking Beca on dates doing things she didn't enjoy, not listening to her when she tried to do things she wanted to do, and making her change the way she acted around him and other people. 

It broke Chloe’s heart to watch how Beca’s relationship with Jesse changed her, and Chloe could see how emotionally exhausting it was for her. However, anytime Chloe tried to bring it up, Beca swore up and down that everything was okay and that they loved each other. 

Chloe was cursing her past self for not doing more to help Beca, but in her heart she knew that she did all she could without Beca ever coming to her. 

The three women sat in silence in Aubrey’s living room, Chloe and Aubrey didn't know what they could say or do to try and comfort Beca. They didn't get the chance to figure it out before they heard Charlie’s voice coming from the guest room.

“Mommy?” There was a pause, then again a little bit louder, “Mommy?” Beca immediately got up when she heard her daughter call for her. 

“I’m just gonna go…” her sentence trailed off while she gestured towards upstairs.

“Yeah, of course, go ahead,” Aubrey said while nodding her head. Chloe didn't say anything, and Aubrey could tell she was still fuming after hearing Beca’s story. She privately commended Chloe’s ability to keep it all hidden from Beca, and keep her cool the entire time.

Beca went up the stairs to go check on her daughter. The second they no longer heard Beca’s steps creaking in the hallway upstairs, Chloe was on her feet, pacing in front of the coffee table.

“I’m going to fucking kill that guy.”

“Chloe,” Aubrey chided.

She stopped pacing for a moment to look at Aubrey, “Did you hear what she said about him? _God,_ he was so awful- _is_ so awful to her,” she continued her pacing.

“I know, I heard.”

“I'm literally gonna kill him. All I have to do is call Lilly, I’m sure she knows someone,” Chloe had grabbed her phone out of her pocket.

“Oh my god, okay,” Aubrey stood up to grab the phone out of her hand and set it on the table, she put her hands on Chloe's shoulders to get her to stop pacing the floor, “we are _not_ ,” she paused to point her finger in Chloe’s face, “going to murder anyone.”

“But—”

“No, Chloe.”

Chloe sighed and flopped her arms on her sides, “Okay. Fine,” Aubrey was a little bit concerned and how quickly Chloe’s mind went to homicide, but she also knew her best friend put her entire heart into everything she did when it came to people she cared about, apparently even murder.

Aubrey ran her hands down Chloe’s arms to then hold her hands, she led them backwards to the couch so they could both sit down. 

“What we are going to do is,” she waited until Chloe looked up at her, “be here for her, and listen to her, and give her and her daughter a safe place to be. We are family, this is what we do.”

“If I had just done more when we were in college—”

“Stop, this is not your fault, in the same way that it is not Beca’s fault either. Jesse is the one made the decisions to do the things he did, to say the things he said. I hate that this happened to Beca, but she's here now, she's safe, they both are. That's what matters.”

“You’re right,” They were both quiet for a long time, lost in their thoughts. Then, Chloe let out a small laugh, then covered her mouth with her hand as if she was trying to shove the sound back in before it could be heard.

Aubrey lifted her eyebrow and looked at her with a confused expression on her face.

Chloe took her hand away from her mouth to speak, “I just can’t believe Beca is a _mom._ Like a full on pushed-a-baby-out-of-her-vagina mom, like a-baby-that-she-grew-in-her-stomach-for-nine-months _mother.”_

“I was so shocked to see her when I opened the door, but seeing the kid was almost even more surprising. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Beca in the same room as a kid before, let alone carrying her own daughter.”

“God, I hope they’re both okay.”

Aubrey squeezed Chloe’s hand gently, “Maybe not right now, but I'm sure they will be.”

  
  
  


Meanwhile, Beca was upstairs trying to comfort her daughter. Charlie was, understandably, very confused when she woke up alone in an unfamiliar room. 

Beca was lying on her back in the middle of her bed, while Charlie had her head on Beca's left shoulder tucking her face into the side of her mom's neck. The small girl was so close to Beca, she was practically laying on top of her. Beca put her hand up the back of Charlie’s shirt and started drawing patterns all over her skin. Ever since she was a baby, the only way Beca could get Charlie to calm down was to rub her back, and on particularly bad nights, sing to her. Beca had the suspicion that this was one of those nights.

Beca turned her head to kiss her daughter's hairline. She could tell by the shaking breaths Charlie took every once and awhile, that she was still not asleep. 

“Want me to sing to you, baby?” Beca purposely kept her voice soft. 

She felt her daughter nod weakly against her shoulder. Beca began to lightly sing the way she used to every night before putting Charlie to bed.

_“Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely, winter,_

_Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here,_

_Here comes the sun, do, do, do_

_Here come the sun_

_And I say, it’s alright”_

After a good while alone downstairs, Chloe and Aubrey had decided to go upstairs and get ready for bed. Aubrey went to her room, and before joining her, Chloe decided to check on Beca. 

She knocked lightly on the guest room door and poked her head in when she didn’t hear a response. She felt a deep ache in her chest at what she saw.

Beca was still on the bed with her hand resting on her daughter's bare back. Charlie was still tucked in her mother’s side with her head nuzzled in her neck. Both of them were asleep, they looked so peaceful that anyone else might have seen them and had no idea of the turmoil they were facing. 

While the idea of the grumpy college kid that Chloe used to know being a mother sounded absolutely insane, Chloe had no doubt in her heart and mind that Beca was a wonderful mom to her daughter.

Chloe tip-toed into the room and grabbed an extra blanket from the closet. They had fallen asleep on top of the covers, and Chloe didn’t want them to wake up cold. She gently laid it over both of them before making her way out of the room.

Chloe slowly and quietly closed the door to the guest room, and made her way to Aubrey’s room. 

Aubrey looked up at Chloe when she walked in, she had already put on her pajamas and was getting ready for bed.

“How are they?” Aubrey asked after Chloe closed the door.

“They’re both asleep on the bed.”

“Good, they both looked so tired,” Aubrey sighed and climbed into bed before continuing, “I hope they get a good night sleep.”

“Me too, God knows they need it.” 

Chloe stole a pair of Aubrey’s pajamas and changed into them. She walked over to turn off the light before getting under the covers next to Aubrey. They had to share the bed because Aubrey only had one guest room.

They were both quiet for a moment before Chloe spoke up again, “What are we supposed to do now?”

“Whatever Beca needs us to do,” the way Aubrey said it was like it was so simple, and maybe it was, all they had to do was be there for Beca. No matter how much this situation was crushing them, it was always going to be so much harder on the two sleeping girls down the hall.

  
  
  


A week later Beca and Charlie were still at Aubrey’s house in her guest bedroom. Aubrey had taken the week off work to be at the house with Beca, citing a “family emergency”. Chloe couldn’t afford herself the same luxury with her job because she had to work in-person, but she came back and spent every night with them. 

Beca hadn’t packed anything before leaving her house, so she was without any of her or Charlie’s belongings. Chloe went out and bought them clothes and other necessities, she also brought home to activities, like toys and books, from her school to help entertain Charlie. She refused to tell Beca how much everything cost so that she was unable to pay her back.

Beca was slowly becoming less quiet and jumpy around Chloe and Aubrey and getting back to the comfort level she used to be at with them. 

Beca hadn’t spoken much more about Jesse, and the other women weren’t going to push her to do so. They learned many years ago that pushing Beca too far just caused her to retreat into herself. 

However, when Charlie accidentally made a loud noise a couple days ago when she dropped her toys in the living room, both Chloe and Aubrey saw the way Beca jumped in her seat. They didn’t comment on it, but it did give them an insight into the environment the other two girls were coming from.

Beca had given Chloe and Aubrey permission to tell the Bellas that she was back in town and staying at Aubrey’s house, but that she was without Jesse. She also told them not to give any details beyond that. 

It was on Saturday afternoon, while all four of them were at Aubrey's house, watching _Toy Story 2_ , when they heard a frantic knocking at the door. 

Beca was immediately reminded of that day at the hotel, her heart started racing as she feared it was Jesse. Chloe could see it written all over her face.

“Why don’t you two go into the kitchen for just a minute,” Chloe offered Beca an out just in case Jesse was at the door, They couldn’t be seen in the kitchen from the front door with the layout of Aubrey's house.

Beca took Charlie into the kitchen, Charlie sat at the table to color and was immediately distracted. Beca on the other hand, waited out of sight but was listening intently to figure out who was at the door.

Aubrey got up to open the door and took a deep breath before turning the handle. She wasn’t prepared to see Stacie in her doorway, as well as all of the other bella’s behind her.

“What—” Aubrey started before she was cut off.

“Jesse is on his way here.”

“What? What do you mean?” Chloe moved behind Aubrey once she was who it was.

“Can we just come in?” Stacie begged.

Aubrey stepped aside and let them into her house. This was the first time all of the Bellas had been under the same roof since graduation.

“What are you guys all doing here? How are you all together?” Chloe asked once they came inside.

“We all wanted to be nearby in case Beca needed anything,” Cynthia Rose stated as if it was obvious.

“We all booked rooms at the same hotel so we could be close,” Jessica added

Little did they know, Beca was just behind the wall listening to everything they said. She felt her heart clench at all of their unwavering willingness to help and support her, even after she abandoned them.

“I saw him in the lobby while I was on the search for any beef-cakes checking in,” Beca heard Amy say.

“Amy overheard him talking to the concierge saying that he was in town planning to ‘surprise his wife while she visited an old friend’. We figured if Beca was all the way out here without him, she wouldn’t be that happy if he just showed up. Before he left, we all packed into one car and came here,” Stacie supplied.

At this point Charlie had heard all of the voices coming from the living room and got out of her chair to investigate. Beca was preoccupied with listening and didn’t notice until it was too late. 

All of the eyes in the room turned to the small girl as she walked around the corner. Beca walked out to stand next to her, and saw all of the Bellas for the first time in over half a decade. 

Charlie looked up at her mother, “Mommy, who are all these people?”

Beca watched the realization and shock pass over all of the women’s faces, they had known Beca was in town, but they had no clue about her daughter.

“Well buddy,” Beca picked Charlie up and rested her on her hip. It was moments like these Beca was glad her daughter inherited her small stature, “these are all my friends.”

“Wooooaaahh, you got a lotta friends.”

“Yeah kid,” Beca gave a small but genuine smile, “I do, don’t I?”

“Hate to break up this lovefest Shortstack and Shorterstack, but your evil husband is on the way,” in any other circumstance Beca would have smiled at the nickname Any had given her daughter, but she had to think of what to do with Jesse on his way.

Before anyone could get another sentence out, there was a loud pounding on the door, then it flew open. Luckily Aubrey was still the closest to the door as she blocked the person from entering.

“Where is she?” Beca immediately recognized Jesse’s voice, “Where are they?”

Beca didn’t know when it happened, but suddenly Chloe was standing right next to her. it brought her comfort and stability, even when she felt so scared. She tightened her hold on her daughter.

Unfortunately Charlie had also recognized Jesse’s voice, “Daddy?” 

Jesse looked over Aubrey's shoulder and saw Beca still holding Charlie, “Hi baby,” he directed softly at Charlie, he pointed his attention back at Aubrey, “Please let me see my daughter.”

Aubrey didn’t move and Stacie and Cynthia Rose stood behind her to almost form a wall keeping him out of the house. 

Chloe noticed Jessica and Ashley on the phone giving someone Aubrey's address and Jesse’s name and she assumed they were calling the police.

He found Beca’s eyes in between all of them, “Please Beca, _please,_ ” Beca could see the tears in his eyes. He used the same voice he did that day at the hotel and Beca found herself being drawn to him. Before she had even noticed she had started to walk towards him, she felt Chloe grab her hand. Beca stopped walking and looked back at her before gently squeezing her hand and not letting go. 

Beca may not have been able to stand up to Jesse on her own, but with all of the Bellas, with her family, with Chloe, she knew this time she could do it. 

“Please just let me in,” Jesse pleaded with Aubrey, but she didn’t budge.

“Jesse you need to get out of here, they don’t want to see you,” Aubrey was firm in the way she spoke, just like she had been when captaining the Bellas.

Amy walked past Chloe and Beca into the kitchen, Beca assumed she was finding something to eat, and barely registered the sound of Amy walking out the back door.

“Just let me in you _fucking_ bitch,” Jesse said and he grabbed Aubreys shoulder to try and push her aside.

Without any hesitation Aubrey punched Jesse right in the jaw. He stumbled backwards and almost fell over. Aubrey grabbed her hand because, _Jesus fuck,_ she forgot how much it hurt to hit someone like that.

Jesse wasn’t as close to the door anymore and by the time he had regained balance and moved towards the door, they heard Amy screaming.

“NO ONE TOUCHES MY FRIENDS, ASSHOLE!!”

Suddenly, Amy was running at a full sprint towards Jesse and she tackled him to the ground.

Charlie had tucked her head into Beca’s shoulder, and Beca was trying to soothe her, but there was only so much she could do in this situation.

Stacie moved away from the door back to where Beca, Charlie, and Chloe were. She turned them around to lead them up the stairs.

“She doesn’t need to see this,” Chloe wasn’t sure if she meant Charlie or Beca, but either way she agreed. 

They could all hear the scuffling outside of Amy and Jesse outside, as well as the other Bellas voices carrying as they cheered Amy on. From the sounds of it, she was having no issue taking Jesse on.

Stacie stood at the bottom as Beca and Chloe climbed the stairs. They then heard Aubrey’s voice carry up the stairs, “Oh my _GOD!_ Lilly put that _down!_ Where did you even find a bat!?”

Chloe looked back at Stacie at the bottom of the stairs and Stacie just shrugged. They may have unconventional methods, but they would all do anything for each other. 

By the time Chloe caught up to Beca and Charlie in the guest room, she could hear Charlie crying. She saw Beca sitting on the floor with Charlie in her lap with her face buried in her mom’s neck. Chloe also noted that Charlie’s breathing was really shallow as she sobbed, and she became worried the girl was gonna hyperventilate.

Chloe saw a cup of water on the bedside table, and quickly took it to refill it with cold water from the bathroom sink. She brought it into the guest room and sat on the floor in front of Beca. 

“Charlie, honey?” Chloe waited until the girl looked back at her, she still rested fully against her mom as if she couldn’t even carry her own weight. “Can you do me a favor?” The girl was still crying and breathing very heavily but she wasn’t as loud so she could hear Chloe.

“Can you do your best to drink this whole glass of water?” Chloe was being so kind and gentle in the way she spoke to Charlie, it made Beca envy her students for having such a caring teacher.

Charlie nodded her head and took the cup. She drank it all and by the time she was finished her breathing and crying had calmed down significantly. 

Beca had been confused as to why Chloe made her daughter drink a cup of water, but she saw the way it was able to get her to calm down enough to move away from a meltdown state.

Chloe must have noted her confusion because she winked at Beca, “Teacher trick of the trade, helps control their breathing and calm them down.”

Chloe got up to set the cup back on the bedside table, then returned to sit much closer to Beca. Charlie had turned back around and was just hugging her mother very tightly.

Beca reached her hand up the back of Charlie’s shirt so she could rub at her bare back, Chloe heard the big sigh of relief the girl gave the moment her mother touched her skin. 

They stayed like that for a while before Charlie spoke up, “Why did he do that?”

Beca didn’t really know how to answer that question, luckily Chloe spoke up, “Sometimes when people get mad, instead of talking to someone and working out the problem, they just take out their anger on other people.”

“I didn’t like it, it was really scary. I don’t like daddy when he’s scary.”

Again Beca was at a loss for words, because it was true, and nothing she could do now would change the fact that her daughter was now scared of Jesse, scared of her own father.

Chloe put her hand on Beca’s thigh, she gave it a small squeeze, and left her hand resting there. 

“Mommy?” Beca wanted to cry at how small Charlie's voice seemed.

“Yeah, buddy?” Beca tried to keep her voice steady.

“Can you sing?”

Beca cleared her throat and took a deep breath before starting,

_“Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely, winter,”_

Chloe joined in for the next line, it was the first time in years they sung together.

_“Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here,”_

Beca hated the circumstances, but she couldn’t help but admit to herself that nothing felt more right than singing with Chloe.

_“Here comes the sun, do, do, do_

_Here come the sun,_

_And I say, it’s alright”_


	4. (Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place three years after the end of Chapter three. Basically just a bunch of fluff to wrap up the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg wow this is the last chapter. i honestly can’t believe that people actually read this and enjoyed it. i’ve never done anything like this before. i just woke up one day and i couldn’t get this idea out of my head, so i wrote it all down, then took another two days trying to convince myself to post it. i’m very grateful for all of the nice things people said and thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read what i wrote. without further ado, here is beca’s happy ending.

-Three Years Later-

Beca heard a noise coming from behind her. It was loud and obnoxious, it sounded like an alarm, but she wasn’t conscious enough to figure out how to make it stop. She just groaned until it somehow finally stopped.

Suddenly, Beca felt a warm body fit itself to her back and she had completely forgotten why she was grumpy in the first place. She felt kisses being placed on her bare shoulder and neck as she hummed in contentment.

She heard the body behind her shift then a methodical giggle reached her ear. 

“Good morning, baby,” she heard Chloe say against her neck. Beca smiled to herself before turning on her back to give her bedmate a kiss on the lips.

“Hmm, good morning to you too,” Beca mumbled the words against Chloe's mouth, but before she had a chance to reconnect them, she heard a tiny fist banging on the door.

“Mommy! Mama! Get UP! It’s the first day of school!”

Beca just groaned loudly as Chloe laughed at her and got out of bed. Chloe pulled on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, but Beca took a moment to check out her girlfriend—sorry her _fiancée_ before she finished covering up.

“Be nice, that’s your daughter out there,” Chloe chided.

“Um excuse you, I think you mean _our_ daughter.” 

Beca loved correcting Chloe every chance she got. She knew the moment Charlie asked Beca why she called her “mommy” and not Chloe, that Chloe had been fully accepted into their family. At that point Chloe and Beca had been together for over a year, and they had already moved into their house together with just the three of them.

Beca took another moment to look at Chloe’s left hand, just to look at the engagement ring on her finger to prove to herself she really did propose the night before. 

Chloe threw a tee shirt at Beca and it hit her in the face, but Beca could still see the smile Chloe had on her face. Once Beca had put on shorts and a shirt, Chloe moved to unlock the door.

“Oh _wow,_ good morning, gorgeous!” Chloe said when she opened the door, Beca knew her daughter’s hair was always in an absolute state when she woke up. Charlie climbed up on the bed and Beca saw just how unruly her hair was and she had to hold back her laugh.

“Mommy it’s the first day of schoooooooool,” Today was Charlie’s first of 3rd grade, which meant Chloe was going to be her teacher. They had to spend a while over the summer reminding Charlie to call her “Ms. Beale” while at school, but she could call her “mama” everywhere else.

They all got ready for the day but made sure they had time to take their First Day of School photos of both Chloe and Charlie before heading off. 

Beca had gotten a job as a real music producer at a recording studio downtown, and was able to do what she had spent so long dreaming of.

After Jesse had shown up at Aubrey’s home that day over three years ago, the police had taken him away. Beca didn’t press charges, but it still didn't help his case when not too soon after Beca filed for divorce. With the help of a lawyer who specializes in divorce and family law that Aubrey knew from law school, she was able to gain sole custody of Charlie, and they both had restraining orders against Jesse. They hadn’t heard from him since after everything was settled and Beca was grateful.

It had been a long and hard road, full of a lot of therapy for herself, Charlie, and for their family, to get to where they are now. Now after a long day at work, as she drove home, to where her daughter and her fiancée were waiting for her, Beca knew this is where she was supposed to end up all along. She will always be forever grateful that she was able to get her and her daughter out of such a bad situation, and also get the chance to love again, the right way this time.

By the time Beca returned home after work, she had already been nervous all day because she and Charlie had worked together on another surprise for Chloe. She was fairly sure Chloe was going to say “yes” when she proposed last night, but this surprise was a little bit more risky.

Chloe and Charlie were already home by the time Beca walked in the front door. She heard them singing _The Little Mermaid_ soundtrack while dancing in the kitchen. Beca stood in the doorway just taking in the moment. She was so grateful for Chloe and how good she was with their daughter, it was everything she ever wanted. 

Charlie saw her mom and ran to hug her. Beca ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair while Charlie’s arms were still around her waist, “Hey kid, how was your first day of school?”

Charlie’s face lit up, “It was _awesome,_ mama is the coolest teacher I’ve ever had, AND I remembered to call her ‘Ms. Beale’ all day!”

Beca hugged her daughter once more, “Good job, buddy!” Beca couldn’t keep a smile off her face with how excited Charlie was.

Beca walked over to Chloe to give her a kiss, “I have a surprise for you tonight.”

“What? Another surprise?” Chloe's smile grew, but Beca could see she was trying to figure out what the surprise could be.

“Mhm, and Charlie helped me out with this one.”

“Hmm,” Chloe raised her eyebrows, “color me intrigued.”

Beca gave her one more kiss before going upstairs to change out of her work clothes.

When she came downstairs she saw Charlie sitting at the dining room table with a grin and Chloe sitting across from her with a stone face. She knew Chloe was trying to get Charlie to cave and tell her what the surprise was.

Beca walked in and stood behind Chloe to point at their daughter, “Remember kid, you’re a brick wall.” 

Charlie mimicked zipping her lips closed and locking it. Chloe let out a big groan before turning around to face Beca, about to give her puppy dog eyes.

Beca just put her hand over Chloe's eyes, “Nope, not gonna work. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Beca walked away before Chloe could try any more tactics to get her to share the surprise. The timer went off in the kitchen and Chloe got up to check on their dinner. 

Chloe called out from the kitchen that dinner was ready, Beca and Charlie worked on setting the table, and they all ate together in the dining room. Chloe tried to get them to spill the surprise, but Charlie had inherited Beca’s stubbornness, something they knew would come back to bite them when she was a teenager, but Beca appreciated it in times like this.

Chloe pestered them for the entirety of dinner, but Beca and Charlie wouldn’t budge. Beca offered to clean up after dinner because Chloe made everything, but Chloe insisted on both her and Charlie helping clean to make it go faster. 

Beca made Chloe go sit on the couch in the living room while she went and got the surprise.

Beca went to Charlie’s room where they hid the wrapped box. The box’s perimeter was no larger than a standard piece of paper, but it was about two inches tall. She didn’t want to hide it in their room in case Chloe found where it was. Beca had to take a moment to calm her nerves before grabbing the box. 

She brought it back downstairs and sat on the couch next to Chloe, Charlie was sitting on her other side. Chloe immediately reached for the box but Beca pulled it away from her.

“Wait,” Beca couldn't help but smile at her fiancée’s enthusiasm, “be patient.” 

Chloe folded her hands in her lap and waited for Beca to continue, but she had a huge grin across her lips. She looked over and saw a similar grin on Charlie, and she was sure she herself looked the same.

Beca took a shaky breath, “Okay so, I’m a little bit more nervous about this surprise than I was last night, mostly because I have no idea how you’re going to take this,” she felt herself getting choked up, but she wanted to get through this without crying, “but, I really hope you love it. Me and Charlie came up with the idea together, and yeah, okay, yeah.”

Beca handed the box over, Chloe was still smiling but it was much more curious than before. She slowly took the lid off the box and examined the contents. 

Chloe took a watery gasp when she saw what they had done, “Bec, you didn’t.”

“Um yeah, we did, we filled out some forms online, and went to the courthouse, then they mailed us these new forms.”

Chloe was holding the papers as if they were the most precious things in the world, not because of what they were, but because of what they said.

They were Charlie’s official legal documents but instead of the name she was given at birth, the name was written out as “Charlotte Anne Mitchell Beale”.

Chloe was absolutely speechless, which was something that was not easy to achieve. 

Beca spoke up when Chloe never really expressed an opinion, “So um, please don’t leave us hanging. Do you like it?”

“ _Do I like it?_ ” Chloe looked up at Beca, then at Charlie. At this point both of them were crying, Chloe carefully set the box down on the coffee table, then she stood and turned around to face them. She grabbed both of their hands to pull them on their feet and hugged them with everything she had.

“You guys, I-I _love_ it.”

“Oh thank _God,”_ Beca let out a deep breath, “I didn’t know what I was gonna do if you hated it.”

“Bec—”

“It would be so embarrassing to change it back.” 

“Beca—”

“And honestly I was hoping you’d be okay if I took your name too?” Beca looked at Chloe expectantly.

“Wait,” Chloe looked into Beca eyes to see if she was being sincere, “are you serious? You wanna take my name?”

“Yeah, of course I do,” Beca said it so wholeheartedly, that there was no way Chloe could ever doubt whether she meant what she said.

Chloe just hugged them both tighter, “I love you guys so much.” 

In that moment, Beca knew that this is what love was supposed to feel like, this is what family is supposed to be.


End file.
